Marijuana woes: It's been known for months Ohio would miss its self-imposed Sept. 8 deadline for a "fully operational" medical marijuana program. Cleveland.com's Jackie Borchardt has the story behind the delay, how the law is causing problems for patients and what happens next.

A boost from Brown? Incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown is the only statewide-elected Democrat in Ohio. Cleveland.com's Andrew Tobias writes about what's on the line for Brown, who faces Republican Congressman Jim Renacci in November's election, and how Brown might help other Democrats on the ticket.

Up for debate: Gubernatorial hopefuls Richard Cordray and Mike DeWine have agreed on three debates ahead of the Nov. 6 election. The first will be held in Dayton, the second in Marietta and the last in Cleveland, which cleveland.com's Seth Richardson reports will be hosted by the Ohio Debate Commission.

Semi-pro: Before Cordray was elected to the Statehouse, headed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or decided to run for governor, he played semi-professional basketball. Richardson watched Cordray play a pick-up game over Labor Day weekend and reports the 59-year-old self-professed "nerd" still has game.

2020 election underway: L.A. mayor and possible 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Eric Garcetti was in Ohio over the weekend, starting with a speech at the City Club. No mayor has been directly elected president, Richardson reports, but Garcetti is making the necessary steps to test the waters.

Going negative: Cordray has his first negative ad out against DeWine, but there isn't much substance to it, writes The Columbus Dispatch's Darrel Rowland. The 15-second ad features a radio host noting DeWine's long time in various political offices and asking whether it bothers him to be a career politician. Pictures of DeWine throughout the years flip by, and DeWine answers "No, it doesn't."

A Cleveland connection: Buried in emails exchanged by U.S. Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh during his years in the George W. Bush White House is a reference to a landmark court case involving Cleveland's school voucher program. Cleveland.com's Sabrina Eaton reports a fellow employee in the White House legal counsel's office wrote the 2002 court decision left open the ability for families to use taxpayer dollars to attend Catholic schools, where that was the only alternative to public schools. Kavanaugh replied, "excellent."

Revenue update: Preliminary figures released by the Ohio Office of Budget and Management show August tax receipts to the state's General Revenue Fund were 0.8 percent over projections. Year to date, tax revenue to the fund is $3.7 billion -- 0.7 percent above projections for the fiscal year, which began July 1.

Labor troubles: Less than 60 days before Election Day, the Ohio Democratic Party is running into problems with organized labor -- their own. The party was the first state party in the country to recognize the Campaign Workers Guild and its roughly 80 election workers, reports Jim Provance of The Toledo Blade. But contract negotiations are not going well, and union leaders are criticizing the party for hiring Republican negotiators with a history of "union busting."

Will Millennials vote? Young voters could nudge a win in a number of competitive Ohio contests this November -- if they vote. Ohioans in their 20s and 30s told the Toledo Blade's Liz Skalka that younger voters don't get their news and opinions through traditional media channels and candidates are slow to get their message out in other ways.

National security differences: Both senate candidates Brown and Renacci have records on national security. The Dispatch's Jack Torry breaks down similarities and differences between the two on Putin, Syria, North Korea and more.

Ryan featured: U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a perennial potential candidate for higher office, is the subject of a Politico Magazine profile focusing on the unlikely pairing of his blue-collar Mahoning Valley roots and embrace of mindfulness. "I think once you meet me, you realize I'm not necessarily some soft yoga guy," Ryan, a Democrat from Niles, tells writer Erick Trickey. "I've been on the picket line. I've been in the union halls. I'll drink a Miller Lite with you."

State of the campaign: As we enter the busiest time of campaign season, cleveland.com's political podcast Ohio Matters takes a break from its usual interview format. This week, political reporters Seth Richardson and Andrew Tobias discuss the state of the campaigns for Senate and Ohio governor.

Full Disclosure

Five things we learned from Rep. Anthony DeVitis' March 20 financial disclosure statement. DeVitis, a Republican from Green in Summit County, is seeking re-election in House District 36.

1. Outside the General Assembly, he said he is employed by DeVitis and Sons Inc., an Italian specialty store. He earned $65,476.18 last year from the state according to Ohio's Interactive Budget.

2. Last year, he was a manager and vice president at DeVitis and Sons, and manager and partner at DeVitis Fine Italian Foods LLC, earning from each $25,000 to $49,999. He earned $10,000 to $24,999 at DeVico LLC, a real estate partnership where he was partner.

3. He had a pension with the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, a 457(b) plan with Ohio Deferred Compensation and stock with DeVitis and Sons in 2017.

4. DeVitis reported owning five properties in Akron.

5. He owed at least $1,000 at some point in 2017 to David DeVitis, Janet DeVitis, Angelo DeVitis, JPMorgan Chase, U.S. Bank, Bank of America and Ford Credit.

Straight From The Source

"Usually, we sit back and wait for the Democrats to mess it up, but that's not what's happening. They're all organized, they're raising money and they're consistent with a message."

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